Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS-SSA)
Country: Ethiopia
Lead Partner: University of Aberdeen
Summary: CROSSROADS-SSA will catalogue and test the use of “sidelined” or “underutilised” native plants to restore degraded soils in Ethiopia, characterising impacts on biodiversity, poverty alleviation, and climate adaptation and mitigation. Species include (1) local high-drought-tolerant varieties; (2) climate-resilient perennials; (3) nitrogen-fixing or phosphorus mobilising species; and (4) species that stabilise eroding banks.
Expected outcomes: Increased agricultural productivity and resilience to climate change through improved soil health; and increased biodiversity by increasing local value of native plants.
What will be achieved? Restoring degraded land by capturing more carbon in soils contributes to mitigation of climate change and increases infiltration and retention of water in the soil, so improving resilience to erosion, droughts and floods. By using underutilised plant species to do this, both above and below-ground biodiversity will be enhanced through increased use of indigenous crops, trees and shrubs to improve fertility and reinforce unstable soils. The extent of this and the consequent impacts on soils, biodiversity, poverty and climate adaptation will be fully quantified and understood.
Who will benefit? Low-income farmers in Ethiopia and across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), using resources that are already available on the farm (underutilised plant species) to improve productivity.
